Classified ads commonly appearing in local newspapers have long been the average person's first stop in attempting to satisfy just about any need that arises. Whether it be a matter of buying or selling, the "classifieds" not only provide a broad range of goods and services, but also, make the existence of the items they concern known to the public at ad costs which, typically, are at least reasonable. When looking to buy, classifieds with their broad range, enable one to find things as trivial as another putter to replace the one recently turned into a pretzel because of a triple bogey, or as important as a new house, job, or the right person to share them with. Additionally, in those situations where one wants to sell goods or services, classifieds can be the most economical and efficient way of letting others know what one has to offer.
Regrettably, however, conventional, newspaper, print classified ads can be difficult and time consuming to work with. Ads when published are often numerous, invariably in small print and commonly lacking in uniform descriptions. Accordingly, the ads become difficult to throughly search. Because of their small type, invariably items or their features are overlooked. Additionally, the newspapers, typically, are incapable of doing anything more than providing minimal classification for the items advertised. As a result, it becomes necessary to wade through many ads which, though in an appropriate category, lack one or more features required to make the thing advertised suitable for the desired purpose. Still, further, because of the need to maintain preparation cost low, classified ads tend to exhibit limited item-description standards, newspapers being unable to expend significant resources in preparing the ads in order to preserve narrow profit margins. As a result, item descriptions tend to vary depending on the particular person placing the ad and the newspaper representative taking it.
As yet another problem, if on looking for an item of interest, one is unable to find it on the first day of search, if the search is continued into the next day, all the ads for the second day, including those previously appearing, will likely be reviewed, thus duplicating a substantial portion of the prior days work, there typically being no way to distinguish one days ads from the next.
Still further, once ads of interest have been identified, it becomes necessary to either check or otherwise highlight them in the newspaper or prepare a list from which "follow-ups" can be undertaken to see if the items found appealing are still available and whether agreement on their sale can be reached.
These requirements and shortcomings affect not only the people who must wade through the ads to select those of interest, but also, the people who place the ads and who worry over whether they will be seen and responded to. Still further, these same requirements and shortcomings affect the newspapers that offer the classifieds, as the money newspapers are able to generate from them will depend on both the size and satisfaction of the audience that reads the classifieds and the audience that places them.
While in the recent past, a number of automated classified ad systems have been proposed to ease some of these requirements and problems, the systems recommend not only continue to exhibit difficulties previously known, but also, present entirely new problems not found with conventional, newspaper print classified ad systems.
As an illustration, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,731, issued to Lalonde et al., Lalonde et al. propose a hybrid, computer-telephone system that permits a would-be seller to call in a sell ad that will be loaded to a computer database and subsequently computer searched by the system; as for example, using Standard Query Language (SQL), against want ads previously loaded. In the event of one or more matches, the system subsequently performs a "call back" to the seller in which voice synthesis is used to relay the match information, the seller prompting playback of the match information with telephone keypad entries. Additionally, the system permits a would-be buyer to call in a want ad which, likewise, would be loaded in the computer database, but here, searched against sell ads. As in the case of sell ads, in the event of one or more matches, the system performs a call back to the buyer in which voice synthesis is used to relay the match information in response to the buyers prompts entered at the telephone keypad.
As proposed by Lalonde et al., in accord with their design, receipt of the sell or want ads is preferably undertaken with a human operator who loads the respective ad information to the computer database in accord with screen-driven database menus. Lalonde et al., however, suggest that the ads may also be taken with computerized voice-recognition equipment that may be optionally included in their system.
Regrettably, though the Lalonde et al. system addresses some of the shortcoming associated with print ads searching, a number of new problems are presented, and, certain of the old problems remain. Specifically, though Lalonde et al. would appear to reduce the burden of manual ad searching, it does so at the cost of a number of advantages associated with traditional print ad classifieds. By virtue of the reliance on automated telephone ad information entry and reporting equipment, the Lalonde et al. system has the tendency to be impersonal and restrictive. Further, the Lalonde et al. system discourages buyer browsing by compelling would-be buyers to be sufficiently certain about what they are looking for as to provide specifications. Additionally, because buyers do not see listings of ads, the opportunities for associated or alterative buyer selections are substantially reduced.
Yet further, by virtue of the Lalonde et al. system's use of operators for receiving and entering ad information, uncertainty is presented as to language standards and the subsequent relevance of reported match information. Yet further, though system call backs create the impression match information will lead to satisfaction of a placed ad, still follow-up calls are required with the attendant uncertainty of item availability. And, to the extent sellers are required to make calls to potential buyers, not only is the seller placed in an awkward bargaining position, but, the potentials for adding to the seller's costs with unsuccessful follow-up calls and associated disappointments are increased.
Additionally, because the Lalonde system relies on conventional database search techniques, the search process can be time consuming and expensive to perform, particularly as the size of the ad database is increased. And, still further, the Lalonde et al. system has the added disadvantage of requiring usage of sophisticated and expensive voice recognition and synthesis equipment, the convenience, reliability and public acceptability of which have yet to be confirmed in practice.
Yet another example of an automated classified ad system is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,385 issued to Cichelli et al. In their patent, Cichelli et al. describe a propriety system for broadcasting classified ads to the public. In accord with their design, Cichelli et al. require that for the sake of speed and simplicity, information be communicated in only one direction; i.e., non-interactively, from their system transmitter to a special, computerized reception system which the user who seeks to read the ads must maintain.
As required by Cichelli et al., since in accord with their design, information is communicated in only one direction, search requests can not be received from the user. As a result, the Cichelli et al. classified ads must be arranged in a sequential database, so that the entire content of the database can be streamed past the user's reception system and desired ad records pulled from the transmitted information each time the user seeks to undertake an ad search. More specifically, whenever a user desires to undertake a search for ads, he must navigate through a sequence of hierarchical menus presented at his reception system in which lists of various characteristics of the item searched for are presented. Following designation of the item characteristics in the sequence of menus, the user's reception system generates a recognition code that configures the user's reception system so as to capture select ads as they stream past in the transmitted ad broadcast.
As is immediately apparent, though the Cichelli et al. system provides some relief for the drudgery of ad searching, it does so at a substantial cost in flexibility and equipment expense.
While navigation of hierarchical menus provides an attractive alternative to manual searching for the identification of ads of interest, the Cichelli et al. approach, however, requires newspaper and user to make substantial investments in proprietary, limited purpose transmitting and reception equipment necessary for the Cichelli et al. design. Still further, as is also apparent, because the Cichelli et al. system is unidirectional and requires use of a sequential database which must be continuously recycled to enable search of all ad records, search response time must increase as the size of the database is increased. Accordingly, there comes a point where increases in database size needed to generate revenues sufficient to offset operating and equipment costs and maintain profit margins are foreclosed because of user dissatisfaction with unacceptable increases in system response time.
Still further, since the Cichelli et al. system is only broadcast, it is completely non-interactive. Accordingly, the user is not able to use his proprietary system to enter ads. Rather, where the user desires to enter an ad, a separate and independent telephone call must be made to the database broadcaster. As well, because the Cichelli et al. system requires navigation of multiple menus to formulate each search query and cycling of the database for search results, the system has the potential for being sluggish, thus discouraging ad browsing and diminishing the opportunity for associated or alterative ad selection.
Finally, a still further approach to automated classified ad systems is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,873 Chomet. As explained in his patent, Chomet proposes the public telephone network and personal computers be used for connecting to a proprietary host computer at which a plurality of resources can be provided, among which is included a computerized classified ad system. As taught by Chomet, the user is required to dial up the central host over public telephone network with a personal computer and modem, and once connected, enter an access code. Thereafter, and upon validation of the user's access code, the user is presented with menus having a variety of service, among which are included e-mail, catalogue purchasing, classified ads and gatewaying to third-party databases.
Upon electing the classified ad service, the user is prompted to indicate whether he is interested in entering an ad or viewing existing ads. Where the user elects to view ads, he is subsequently required to enter an ad category as might commonly be used in connection with print classified ads, and thereafter, is presented in newspaper fashion with ads in accord with the ZIP code associated with his access code. Subsequently, and as proposed by Chomet, the user's viewing of classifieds would be timed and charges applied based on the amount of ad viewing time consumed.
Alternatively, where the user upon being prompted as to whether he wishes to enter an ad, elects to do so, he is merely asked to enter the category and ZIP code for the ad and the ad text.
On review of the Chomet teaching, it is clear that by proposing use of an interactive, computer network for presenting classified ads Chomet has suggested a system that provides greater ease for presenting and viewing ads. However, it is also apparent from the description of his system that much of the search difficulty arising from limited ad organization and lack of standardization of item description associated with traditional classified ads remains in the Chomet system. Additionally, it is also apparent that because Chomet relies on conventional techniques for searching the ad database; for example SQL, his system is susceptible to time consuming and costly search processes which can become objectionable to users, particularly as the size of the ad database is increased. Still further, it is also apparent that in view of his suggestion that users be required to have access codes and be charged for ad viewing time, Chomet has proposed a system that departs from the long established and widely accepted practice of not charging for classified ad review beyond the cost of the newspaper that presents them.